The InkSea Hotel
by Octoling-Mindy
Summary: [Parody of The Shining] Mindy gets a job as a Caretaker of the InkSea Hotel. All of her friends get to go, and soon, the five to six months of isolation inside the tall, gray hotel will start once they get settled in. [Rated T for swearing, use of alcohol, blood, violence, character death.]
1. Chapter 1 - The Letter

Chapter 1 - The Letter

Mindy, Mark, and Minka were sitting in Mindy's apartment. It was morning, the wind blowing the tree leaves onto the ground.

"So, you went to the interview, Mindy?" Minka asked, who was sitting on the couch.

"Yup! They said they were going to send a letter to me."

Mark looked away from the fridge in the kitchen. "So, you are going to be a caretaker of the whole hotel?"

Mindy looked at Mark, smiling. "Hopefully."

The doorbell to the apartment rang.

"I'll get it," Mindy told the two inklings. She walked over to the door with a bounce in her step. As she opened the door, there was a letter taped to the outside of the door.

"Let's see what is inside," Mindy says in a sing song voice.

She sat down on the couch next to Minka. Mark walked towards the couch, looking over the two girls' shoulders.

The octoling got the letter open. She took out a folded piece of paper.

As she unfolded it, she gasped, eyes open wide.

With her eyes scanning the paper, she smiled wide.

"I got the job!" Mindy cheered, jumping up with joy.

Minka looked up at the octoling, who now was standing up. "Really? That's a great achievement, Mindy!"

"Thank you."

Mark walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Mindy looked over at him.

"I'm glad you are happy," Mark told her.

Mindy blushed embarrassingly. Mindy then looked back down at the paper, seeing something that the octoling didn't see before. She scanned the paper yet again.

"Hey, I can bring my friends along," Mindy said. She folded the paper back up. She turned to the two inklings. "Do you two wanna tag along?"

Minka nodded. "Yes! I've always wanted to see how anyone runs a hotel! I bet we will have fun!"

"Sure, why not?" Mark said.

"Alright then," Mindy says, sitting down on the couch. "I will text Lizzie and Nathan about the hotel, see if they will come with us."

The two squids nodded, sitting on the couch next to the octoling.


	2. Chapter 2 - Welcome to The InkSea Hotel!

Chapter 2 - Welcome to The InkSea Hotel!

"Wow, this place is big!" Minka called out, her eyes widened.

Mindy looks over at Minka with a glare. "Yeah. It is."

The group is walking around the InkSea Hotel, the place was decorated with the history of the Squidbeak Splatoon: paintings, historical weapons displayed, and other objects surrounding the topic.

"Guess this place had some history," Mark says, looking around, stopping in his tracks to look at the historical parts of the hotel.

"Come on, Mark," Mindy muttered. "Keep walking. Our rooms are waiting for us."

Mark looked over at the octoling, sighing softly to himself. He nods, continuing to follow the group.

* * *

The group was now on the second floor of the hotel. The floor was a flat carpet, and doors lined the halls.

The group made it to their rooms, and unlocked the doors.

"I can not believe that we get to stay here!" Minka cheered from her room, the door still open.

Meanwhile, Mindy was unpacking her things. She took out her clothes, toothbrush, basic things you need in a room that you are staying in for five to six months.

Mark knocked on the door to Mindy's room. She dropped her stuff, and answered it.

"Hey, you need something? I'm trying to get organized," Mindy said.

"Just wanting to check up on you," Mark paused. "You okay?"

Mindy walked back over to her suitcase that was on the bed. "I'm alright."

Mark looked at her, suspicious.

"You can leave my room, you know," Mindy says, placing her clothes into the drawers.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Seriously, are you okay?"

Mindy breathed in, then out. "I said I was alright," she told him, calmly.

Mark nods, leaving the room.

* * *

As the day slowly passes by, it's now the evening.

Lizzie was walking around the empty halls, looking around at all of the paintings.

"This place does have some class," she told herself, a smile on her lips.

Lizzie looks away from the paintings, seeing that Minka is walking around the halls as well.

"Hey, Lizzie! Did you see the Gold Room?"

Lizzie, now confused, asks, "What room? Mindy didn't say anything about that."

"Follow me, then."

The two inklings walked down the halls with a quick pace in their step. The girls then make it to these big golden-looking doors. Minka opens one of the doors, stepping inside. Lizzie follows the other.

"It looks like a ball room," Lizzie commented.

"Yeah! See the fancy tables over there?" Minka pointed to the tables on the left side of the large room.

"Yup, I see them."

Minka sees some lit up bar shelves. The shelves are completely empty.

Minka gasps. "Look at this, Lizzie! A bar." The inkling walks over to it, mesmerized by the look of it.

"That's great, Minka. There is one problem, though."

Minka looks at the other.

"We can't drink _that_ stuff. Also, there is nothing on those shelves."

Minka nods. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

Mindy is walking around the hotel's halls on the third floor. She hums to herself quietly, smiling as she does it.

She then sees Nathan, looking at a historical weapon that was in a display case.

Mindy walks over to him. "So," she spoke. "Do you know if there is a place to practice fighting? Or anywhere similar to the testing room?"

Nathan looked over at her. "I bet there would be. Why do you think there wouldn't be?"

"I don't know, maybe because it's a hotel?" Mindy muttered.

"What was that, Mindy?"

Mindy shakes her head a bit. "Nothing you need to know about, Nathan." She smiles calmly. "Let's just check out that room I was talking about."


	3. Chapter 3 - Wednesday

Chapter 3 - Wednesday

Mindy looked around the big golden room, seeing all of the dedication in it's walls and decor.

It was a Wednesday, in the afternoon.

"Interesting. A bar."

Mindy walked over to the lit up shelves of the bar. She smirked.

_What if there were drinks on those shelves? _Mindy thought to herself, with the smirk still on her lips.

Minka walked into the room, her footsteps echoing throughout the room.

"Hey, Mindy. How are you?" Minka asked, her voice giving off a small echo inside the room.

Mindy turned around, the smirk fading from the octoling's lips. "Oh, I'm doing just fine, Minka."

"Are you enjoying the place?"

Mindy nodded, walking over to the inkling. "Yes, I sure am. It's so beautiful."

Minka nods, agreeing with her statement.

"Did you know that there is a testing room in this hotel?"

Minka shook her head. "No, I didn't."

Mindy walked passed her, saying, "It's on the first floor, near the entrance, _almost_ near it."

"Really?"

Mindy nods, leaving the Gold Room.

* * *

Mark walks down the stairs, looking at the walls of decor. He smiles warmly. He then sees a desk as he looks away from the walls.

_That desk must be used for something, _he thought.

Suddenly, Mark sees Mindy walk in, sitting down at the desk. In front of her was a typewriter.

Mark walked over to her almost cautiously.

"Mindy? What are you doing here?"

The octoling starts to press the keys, the buttons making a loud noise as each of them were getting hit by Mindy's fingers.

"Mindy? I asked you something," Mark says, staying a few feet away from her.

Mindy looks at the paper she is typing with concentration.

Mark sighs, shaking his head. He walks out, not wanting to deal with whatever is going on with her.

* * *

Nathan walks past the testing room Mindy had talked about yesterday.

_She must be bored, _Nathan thought.

Lizzie sees him. "Hey, Nathan."

"Hello, Lizzie. Is something going on?"

Lizzie walks over to him. "Has this place lost it's 'magic' suddenly?"

"Yeah. We were all excited about this place, but now that it's empty," Nathan paused. The octoling didn't want to say anything bad about the place. It was a fancy hotel, with nice decorations and all.

"Do you have a feeling we are being watched?" Lizzie asked in a hushed whisper.

Nathan nodded. "A bit, yeah."

* * *

Now it was the evening.

Mindy was still at the desk, typing away at the typewriter.

Mark walked into the room.

"Hey, Mindy. You've been here for a while," Mark said.

Mindy didn't look away from the paper, almost like the male inkling didn't exist next to her.

"Mindy?"

Mindy looked over at him slowly. "What?" she asked with a grumble.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to sleep?" Mark asked, stepping back a bit.

"I was just busy writing and you ask me that?" Mindy asks, putting her hands on the desk.

Mark stuttered, "Yeah. Are you-"

Mindy cuts off his sentence. "You see I'm doing work here?" She points to the typewriter.

Mark nods. "I know you are busy. I only asked a question, that's all."

"But, you broke my concentration. Thanks for bothering me," Mindy says, bonking herself on the head with her own gloved hand.

"I didn't mean to bother you, Mindy," Mark told her.

Mindy sighed, almost like she was annoyed with Mark already. "Okay, there is going to be a rule, tell the others this. If I'm in this room, and you hear this sound," Mindy paused, pressing random keys hard with anger. She continued by saying, "just walk past me. Don't look at me or talk to me, got it?"

Mark nods. "I understand."

"Alright, now," Mindy spoke. "So, why don't you start getting the fuck out of here then, Mark."

Mark looks away from Mindy, walking over to the stairs, not looking back at the octoling for one second.


	4. Chapter 4 - Thursday

Chapter 4 - Thursday

The morning sun glistened throughout the hotel's windows.

Mark groaned, yawning softly. He looked at the clock: it's seven o'clock in the morning.

The male inkling got up from his bed, stretching his arms and legs. He then brushed his teeth in the small bathroom the hotel room had.

Mark walked out of his hotel room, smiling a little.

_Another nice day at the InkSea Hotel, _he thought.

* * *

Mark walked down the steps, seeing the desk yet again far from where he was. He rubbed his eyes, then looked closely at it once more.

Mindy was there, slumped over the desk, her head resting on the polished wooden desk.

Mark was about to walk past, but suddenly heard small mumbles from her.

"Hey," Mark said, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. "Mindy, wake up."

Mindy continued to mumble, still stuck asleep.

The male inkling pinched at her shoulder, making Mindy slowly stir in her sleep.

Mark sighed to himself. He was wanting to give up at this point.

Then, a scream escaped the octoling's lips, waking her up.

"You alright?" Mark asked with concern.

Mindy sat up, shaking slightly. She looked at Mark and gripped his hand tightly.

"I had a dream," Mindy stuttered. "You, and the others. You were all dead in the lobby, bleeding and everything. I was standing there, shocked. Then, I found out-"

Mark cut off her sentence. He brought her into an embrace. "It's okay. We are not like that at all. We all are pretty much alive."

Mindy wrapped her arms around him, sighing to herself. "The thing about it, it felt so real."

"Well, it's not real, Mindy. Dreams don't show you a future, or could," Mark paused, silencing himself.

They let go of each other. Mindy looked at the typewriter. "I was writing like crazy last night. I guess I forgot to check the time."

"Yeah," Mark said with a chuckle. "How about you go up to your room and sleep."

Mindy nodded, standing up. She pushed the chair into the desk, then walked over to the stairs.

* * *

Minka walked around the third floor of the hotel. She was walking passed the rooms, one of the room numbers caught the female inkling's interest.

Room 348.

_I wonder where this leads into, _Minka thought, curiously washing over her.

She placed her hand on the door handle, turning it.

The door opened, giving a chance for Minka to go inside.

* * *

"Guys!" Minka cried out through the second floor halls. She rushed towards her room, breathing heavily.

Mark rushed in behind Minka. "What happened?"

Minka turned around. Mark walked over to her.

"I got a bruise here." The female inkling pointed to her arm.

"How can that be explained?" Mark asked, looking at her arm. "Was there anyone in that room?"

"In room 348? Nobody was there."

Mark sighed, facepalming himself. "Don't tell me that it was," he muttered the rest of the sentence to himself, while Minka looked at her bruised arm.

* * *

Lizzie and Mark were talking about the event that happened with Minka. It was now the afternoon.

"So, you're saying that ghosts are in the hotel?" Lizzie questioned him.

"I believe so," Mark said. "Mindy had some sort of thing happened to her, but it was just a dream."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Explain the dream."

"Well, she told me it was in the lobby, like where we are headed to right now."

Lizzie nodded. "The big section on the first floor, with the pillars, got it."

Mark continued, "The rest of us were dead except for her. She stopped describing the dream about there."

The two now entered the lobby, stopping their walk.

"So, we were all dead _except_ her?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah."

"This is just insane. We have the dream situation, now Minka's bruised?"

"I did look in Mindy's room. I took her letter," Mark says, taking out the neatly folded letter from his pants pocket. "I read it. It describes that we all are going to be here for five to six months, and that-"

"What?!" Lizzie yelled, her voice echoing throughout the room. "Why didn't she tell us that before?!"

"I don't know, but as I was saying," Mark said, looking back down at the paper. "There is just something sketchy about this place, and I want to find out." He looks up from the paper, folding it back up.

"You have to ask Mindy questions. She's the caretaker, you know?"

Mark nodded, taking Lizzie's advice. "I know, I will tomorrow. Also, I will look at the typewriter at some point, see if she was typing anything suspicious."


	5. Chapter 5 - Sunday

Chapter 5 - Sunday

The lobby was chilly when Nathan walked in from being in the testing room the hotel had.

_Damn, it's cold, _the octoling thought, wrapping his arms around himself. He saw Mindy walk in, shivering a bit. Nathan walked over to her, smiling warmly.

"Hey, how have you been on this fine afternoon?" Nathan asked her.

"Good, you?" Her teeth were chattering as she spoke.

He chucked. "Fine, just cold."

Mindy nodded, agreeing with him.

"The hotel's in nice shape, it seems," Nathan added, trying to not be awkward.

Mindy smiles. "I know. I'm glad no one has wrecked the place."

Minka walked in, seemingly not as cold as the two octolings. "Hey, you two."

"How's your arm? I heard what happened to you. Lizzie talked about it with me," Nathan says, walking over to the female inkling.

"It's not as sore as it was before," Minka told Nathan with a small giggle.

Mindy stayed silent, staring at them.

"That's nice to hear."

"Well, I'll see you two around," Minka says, walking out of the lobby.

Nathan looks back over at Mindy, who was now staring up at the ceiling.

"Mindy, you okay?"

The echo of Nathan's voice made Mindy flinch. "I'm fine, just thinking."

* * *

Mindy walked into the Gold Room, seeing that the tables were all set up, knives and forks on the tables.

_Wow, guess there will be a party sometime during the oncoming weeks, _she thought.

Mindy hummed to herself, looking at the bar. Smiling, she left the room, proud of whomever did the work to set up the tables.

* * *

Mark walked into the kitchen, looking around at the metal pots and pans lying around neatly on the counters.

"Interesting. Didn't know there was a kitchen," he spoke to himself.

Mindy secretly peeked in.

The male inkling turned around, seeing her pink hair. "Hello, Mindy."

"Hi, Mark." Mindy walks in, smiling. She doesn't keep her eyes off Mark. "How have you been?"

Mark responded with, "I've been doing fine. I heard on the radio that it's going to snow tonight."

"Really?" Mindy asked. "Isn't that just insane? Snowing in the middle of fall."

Mark nodded. He then noticed something about how the octoling was speaking, and notice that she kept staring at him.

"Nothing's bothering you, right? Am I bothering you?" Mark asked her.

"No, not at all."

_Is Mindy really okay? _Mark thought. He then told Mindy that he had to excuse himself. Mindy understood, letting him leave.

* * *

"It feels like there is something wrong with Mindy. She acted so odd towards me." Mark was in Minka's hotel room, talking about the event in the kitchen.

"I thought you cared and loved her, Mark," Minka told him.

"I do," Mark objected. He then thought to himself in silence, realizing something. "Am I starting to hate her?"

Minka sat herself on the bed he was sitting on. "I hope you aren't. I know you are frustrated with her. Maybe it's the fact that we are the only ones here. But, I think in one of the office-looking rooms there is a radio, we can connect to it and talk to the outside world."

"You sure about that, Minka?"

Minka nods. "I believe that I walked passed it yesterday, but I know there is one in this hotel."

Mark put his head in his hands. He groans. Minka puts an arm around him.

She spoke softly. "Don't stress yourself. Maybe you need rest."

Mark nods, looking up at the other inkling.

_Is the hotel taking it's toll on us? _Minka thought.


	6. Chapter 6 - Tuesday

Chapter 6 - Tuesday

Mindy was throwing a ball into one of the blank walls around the lobby of the hotel. She caught the ball, looking over to the windows. The grass that was there was now covered in glittering snow. Snowflakes were raining down outside. She smiled.

_The snowcat outside has to be in the shed. The manager told me that, _Mindy thought.

Mark walked into the lobby. "Wow. Guess it's snowing hard out there."

Mindy nodded. "Yeah, it sure is, Mark." She looked over at him with a smile. Mark walked over to her.

"You've been bored, haven't you?" Mark asked.

Mindy didn't want to admit it. The job of being the caretaker of the InkSea Hotel was starting to become dull and boring. She came up with a lie to hide her true feelings.

The octoling spoke. "I was just about to go continue typing with the typewriter."

"Oh, I was thinking about going out there for a bit," Mark said.

"You can take Minka out there. I rather be in the warmth of the hotel."

* * *

Mark and Minka got on their coats and headed down to the lobby. Mark noticed that Mindy was now wearing a black turtleneck sweater and black yoga pants.

The octoling had brought in the typewriter into the lobby, sitting at one of the many desks in the big section of the hotel. The desk was placed near the window which showed the snow-covered grass.

"Hey, you two," Mindy spoke. "Going to go and have some fun?"

"Yup!" Minka cheered, jumping up and down.

Mindy then saw the two open the main entrance, leaving the lobby. The octoling, who now was looking out the window, seeing her two best friends playing out in snow. She kept staring at them, smiling a little. Thoughts were swirling through her head. She rubbed her temple, groaning softly.

Mindy looked down at the typewriter, starting to type.

_Peace and quiet, finally, _Mindy thought.

* * *

Mark and Minka, who were outside the hotel, were walking around.

"I believe there would be some sort of snow car for us to use," Mark tells Minka. "It's the only way of transportation we need to get through the snow."

"Explains a lot," Minka commented. "I saw Mindy in the window, staring out at us. It was almost like she wishes she was out here with us."

Mark nodded. He then caught sight of a shed. He walked over to the shed, opening it.

He peeked in and saw a snowcat. He gasped. "Minka!"

"Yeah, Mark?"

"I found a form of transportation." Mark opened the shed door wide, showing off the snowcat that was inside of it.

Minka smiled. "Nice find! Now all we need to do is figure out how to work the snowcat."

* * *

_Am I really going to get the four of us out of here? _Mark thought, sitting on his bed in his hotel room. _Am I going to do this? _

He has been thinking for a while. The clock now read twelve o'clock in the afternoon.

He groaned. "I should tell Mindy something."

* * *

Minka walked passed the rooms, noticing that Mindy's door was open.

The inkling peeked in, seeing Mindy sitting on the bed, looking at something.

"Mindy?" Minka asked, walking into her room.

Mindy looks over at her. "Minka, what a nice surprise."

Minka walks over to the octoling, sitting down next to her.

"How has the hotel treated you lately?" Mindy asked, looking at Minka with a smile.

"It's been fine, my friend. All good," Minka told her. "This place feels a bit off though. I can't place my finger on it."

Mindy nods a little. "Alright." The octoling places an arm around the female inkling. "I wish we could stay here forever, you know?"

"Yeah," Minka muttered the rest of her sentence.

Mindy lets go of her, saying, "I'm glad you see the way I see."

Minka nods, leaving the room.

* * *

"Mindy's insane."

"I know, right? She told you that we were gonna stay here forever? Give me a break."

Lizzie and Minka were talking back and forth. The two were in the Gold Room, sitting at one of the tables.

"I can not believe her. She must be losing her mind with all of this boredom around the hotel," Minka said. "Why did she even bring us here if it was boring?"

"It was exciting at first. Going to a new place in Inkopolis Square sounds great." Lizzie sighed. "It's turning into a disaster."

Minka nods.

Mark walked into the Gold Room, seeing the two girls sitting. He goes over to them and takes a seat with them.

"Talking about the hotel, aren't you?"

"We are talking about the hotel, Mark," Lizzie grumbled.

Minka spoke. "What are we supposed to do for the next few months we have?"

"Getting the fuck out of here!" Lizzie snapped.

Mark nods, agreeing with Lizzie's statement. "Yeah. I've gotten hints of ghosts in the hotel. One hint: Minka's incident."

Minka spoke. "I found out that there is a device we can use to get out: the snowcat. Remember, Mark? In the shed?"

"Right," Mark says, nodding his head. "We just need to put gas in that machine. I bet the gas is in the shed."

"I listened to the radio." Lizzie slammed her hands on the table. "They said it was going to snow more next week!"

Minka groaned. "Seriously? When we are stuck in this dull and shitty-"

Mark covers the female inkling's mouth, silencing her. "You don't want Mindy to hear you, right?"

Minka shook her head. Mark pulled away his hand from her closed mouth.

"Anyway," Lizzie said. "There must be something changing everyone's attitude as well. Mark, you seem to be hating Mindy." Lizzie looked over at Mark.

"She seems to be the one carrying negative energy," Mark told the two girls. He sighed sadly, his hands shaking slightly. "I really don't want to hate her. She's my best friend, a great friend at that. I love her to death."

"I know. It's hard seeing her like this," Minka commented. "She _must _be bored being the caretaker of this place. Nothing has been going on."

Lizzie and Mark nodded.

The group continued to talk until they ran out of ideas. They then left the Gold Room in silence.


	7. Chapter 7 - A Month Passes By

Chapter 7 - A Month Passes By

Minka walks around the hotel, yawning softly. She couldn't sleep last night. With the talk about leaving the hotel and Mindy's losing patience, Minka was paranoid.

The inkling walked upstairs to the third floor. Sighing to herself, she wandered around, looking at the display cases.

* * *

Mark looked over at the Gold Room as he walked down the hall. He then turned around and Mindy was stomping by him with an angry aura around her.

Mindy stopped, and walked into the Gold Room.

Mark walked away, wondering what happened.

* * *

Mindy sat down at the bar. She was the only one in the room.

"For God's sake, just let me have something good to happen. Just let me have a glass of beer."

She covered her face, then she uncovered her eyes.

She smiles.

"Hi, Daniel. Slow tonight, isn't it?" She looks around the room, then laughs.

"_Yes, it is," Daniel, the seventeen year old bartender told her. His slick back hair was neatly done, and he was wearing a black tuxedo. "Would you like anything?" _

Mindy shakes her head. "No, thanks. You know that I'm only sixteen."

_Daniel smiles. "I understand that, but you know that I don't care about what age drinks or not." _

Mindy giggles softly. She nods. "Alright, crazy squid." She pauses, changing the subject. "I do want to talk about my friends who are here."

"_Go on, I'm listening," Daniel said. _

"Minka. She got a bruise on her arm from one of the rooms." Mindy groans. "Doubt it was a ghost. Next, Lizzie and Nathan. They are alright, but just need to leave me alone."

_Daniel nods. _

"Now, _Mark. _God, he's just a distracting squid. One day, he was asking me questions while I was writing with the typewriter. I was just wanting to slap his face!" Mindy slams her fists onto the bar counter.

"_So, he's just not the squid for you?" Daniel asks Mindy. _

Mindy nods her head a bit. "I do like him, but he gets on my nerves a little."

_Daniel sighed to himself. He changed the subject. "Mindy, there will be a party in the evening. You can see me again then." _

"That sounds great, Daniel. Thank you for telling me." Mindy smiled, looking at Daniel.

* * *

Mark was rushing down the hall, calling out Mindy's name. He then rushed into the Gold Room, seeing the octoling sitting at the bar, nothing on the shelves of the bar.

"Mindy! Something happened! Minka got stabbed in the side with a knife!" Mark was panicking. He shook Mindy's right shoulder.

Mindy turned to look at him. "Are you out of your _fucking_ mind?"

"No, I'm not," Mark told her.

Mindy stood up from the seat. "What was the room number?"

* * *

Room 348.

Mindy looked at the door, holding the handle.

_Okay, you can do this. Just go in, _Mindy thought.

Mindy unlocked the door with the key in her hand. She walked in, seeing a neat bedroom. She turns her head towards the bathroom door.

"Is anyone here?" Mindy called out, standing still.

She didn't hear anything. The octoling rolls her eyes, walking out of the room.

She closes the door, locking it. Mindy leaves, muttering to herself.

* * *

"I didn't see anything in the room." Mindy walked in seeing Minka getting bandaged up. The knife was on the bed, blood covering the metal blade.

Minka sighed. "Hopefully it heals."

Mark nodded, finishing up on wrapping the wound. "I hope so, too."

Mindy stared at the knife then looked over at Mark.

Minka looks at Mindy. "Hello, Mindy. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Looked into one of the rooms, nothing was going on in there."

"Are you talking about room 348?"

Mindy nods.

Mark walked over to Mindy, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't see anything?"

"Nothing was in the room."

Mark pushed her aside, walking out of the hotel room.

* * *

It was the evening.

Mindy walked down the hall towards the Gold Room. She saw balloons and confetti on the ground.

_Guess the bartender was right, _Mindy thought.

There was a faint sound of music playing in the background as the octoling walks down towards the Gold Room. She snaps her fingers to the beat. She hums quietly, smiling.

She walks into the Gold Room, seeing squids and octos enjoying the tunes of _Tide Goes Out_ by Marie, one of the Squid Sisters.

"_Evening, miss," a butler says as Mindy stops in her tracks. Mindy turns to him. _

"Good evening," the octoling tells him, continuing to walk to the bar.

She sits down on one of the available stools. She placed her arms onto the counter. "Hello, Daniel. Nice seeing you again."

_Daniel turns to her, smiling. "Hi, miss. Would you like anything?" _

"The hat that I killed from the conductor, Daniel my man," Mindy says, taking out her wallet. She opened her wallet, taking out some coins.

"_Bourbon's on the rocks, Mindy," the bartender told her. _

"Oh, come on. You could've been a bit richer, Daniel."

_Daniel took the Bourbon Whiskey out from one of the shelves, then grabbed a glass. He put some ice in the cup, then poured the whiskey into it with a smooth motion. _

Mindy smiled, putting her wallet away. She took her drink, sipping it. She hummed, the drink going down her throat.

_Daniel looks over to the others at the bar, talking to them. _

Mindy sighed, standing up. She took her drink and walked around the ballroom. Seeing all of these people in this one room made Mindy feel anxious.

Mindy walked back to the bar, sitting down.

"_Is something the matter?" Daniel asks, looking at the octoling. _

Mindy takes a sip of her drink. "I'm fine, Daniel."

"_How about we talk in the hallway?" _

Mindy nods, walking out of the Gold Room, the music slowly faded as she stepped out of the room.

_Daniel stepped out, looking at her. "Is it your friends?" he asked. _

Mindy looked at him, still holding her drink. "A bit, yeah. Minka got stabbed with a knife in one of the rooms. There was nothing in the room when I looked in there."

"_What was the room?" Daniel questioned. _

"Room 348."

"_Yeah, must have been your friend playing a little trick on you, miss." Daniel was leaning on the wall. _

Mindy nods, taking another sip of her whiskey. "I told Mark that there was nothing in the room. He just pushed me away from him. Like I told him something that he didn't want to hear."

"_That would make sense. He wants to hear that you found something. Does he want you to lie?" _

"No, Daniel." Mindy smirked. "I don't believe that for one bit."

"_Think about it, Mindy. Just think about that event," Daniel says, walking a little towards the octoling. _

Mindy looks at her drink. "Well, maybe you're right. He was the reason I came down to the Gold Room."

"_Exactly. That squid wants you to not be with him," Daniel told her. "Seems like he wants to forget about you." _

Mindy nods, listening to the bartender.

_Daniel spoke. "He wants nothing to do with you. Is there anything you want to say to him?" _

Mindy shrugs her shoulders. "I could say to him that I need him to stop bothering me."

"_That's not enough, though," the bartender said. "Maybe killing those friends of yours would do justice." _

Mindy giggles, smiling. "Really, Daniel? I shouldn't just resort to violence."

"_It will be fine," Daniel told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "All you need is your anger and a weapon." _

"Where will I find a weapon?"

"_Look around the hotel if you have to," Daniel says with a husky tone in his voice. He smirks. "You can get rid of them, you know. You're not as weak as you look." _

Mindy looks at him. She then gulps down her drink, finishing it.

"_Listen. You can get out of here. Just let your friends die off in the chilly weather outside," Daniel told her. _

Mindy places her drink on one of the small tables in the hallway.

Mindy turned to him. "Words of wisdom, Daniel," she said. "Words of wisdom."

"_Right. Now, why don't you start sometime next week. Plan ahead I always say," Daniel told her. He then cupped her face, kissing Mindy's cheek. _

Mindy stood here, a faint blush on her face.

"_Make them suffer, miss," Daniel said. He looked at her one last time before he walked back into the Gold Room. _

Mindy stood there, frozen up.


	8. Chapter 8 - Weeks Have Passed By

Chapter 8 - Weeks Have Passed By

Mindy was typing, hitting the keys with slight anger. She was concentrating deeply. If she made a mistake, she ignored it. The octoling wanted to get all of her thoughts out before she slumped over the desk, sleeping.

Mark walked down the stairs. He saw her, her head on the desk.

_Mindy, you need to sleep in your hotel room, _he thought.

He walked passed her, shaking his head a little.

* * *

Lizzie was in the lobby, sitting on one of the couches in the big section of the hotel.

Mark saw her and called out her name. Lizzie looked over at him, motioning the inkling to her.

"What's happening, Mark?" Lizzie asked.

"Mindy must have stayed up again on the typewriter."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "We really need to get out of here, Mark. Who knows what Mindy will do?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah, you are right. I'm gonna check in the room to look at what she has been writing."

"You do that."

* * *

Mark was holding a bat in his right hand.

The male inkling was walking over to the desk. He noticed that Mindy was no longer there. He darted his eyes around the room, seeing where she could be.

Panic slowly filled the inkling. He looked down at the page after page of a phase, written out completely differently each time he flipped through.

_All work and no play makes Mindy a bored octo. _

Mark's eyes widened. He then heard footsteps behind him.

"You like it?"

Mark jumped and turned around to see Mindy.

Mindy walked over to the desk. "What do you think?"

Mark backed away, tightly holding the bat in his hands.

"It's great," Mark stuttered.

"Can I talk with you for a moment?" Mindy asked.

Mark didn't answer.

"Let's talk." Mindy looked down at the pages that she had written out. "You were wanting to leave the hotel, weren't you?"

"No, Mindy. We weren't wanting to leave."

Mindy stepped a bit towards him. "Did you blame _me_ for hurting Minka?"

Mark's voice echoed throughout the room. "I never said that!" He was still backing away from the octoling, fear in his blood.

"Are you concerned about _me_?"

"Of course I am!"

"_Of course_ you are," Mindy said harshly. "You ever think about _my _responsibilities, do you?"

Mark was holding back tears. "I do, Mindy!"

"Then, why don't you _act_ like it?"

"I think we should take Minka to a doctor," Mark spoke, fear in his voice.

"You think _maybe _Minka should be taken to a _doctor_?" Mindy mocked Mark's words.

Mark swung the bat, backing up now to the stairs. Mindy walked towards him. She wasn't hit by the swing of the bat.

"You think you can leave me here alone while you all _leave_?" Mindy yelled.

"No, never!" Mark panics, swinging the bat again.

Mindy is now walking up the stairs. "I have to watch this place! The letter says so. I've had my whole _fucking _life to get to this point. You had to just say something to me. You didn't have to come here if you and the others didn't want to. What's good about a few words of yours gonna do now?"

Mark shook his head. "I just want to go to room. I just need to think things over." His tears are filling his eyes, blurring his vision a bit.

"You _did_ have that day to think things over," Mindy pauses. "Mark."

"Stay away!" Mark swung the bat.

"_Darling_," Mindy spoke.

"Stop!" Another swing of the bat.

"Light of my _life_," Mindy said. "I was going to say something. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Get away from me!" Mark told her, fear in his eyes.

"I _said_, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to bash your brains in." Mindy giggles. "I'm gonna bash them the _fuck_ in." She smiles wide, staring up at him.

Mark continues to swing the bat.

Mindy is starting to get angry. "Stop swinging the bat, Mark. Stop swinging it," she tells him through her teeth. "Give me the bat, Mark."

"No!"

"Give me the bat."

He swings the bat yet again.

"Give me the bat!" Mindy rushes up towards him. She tries to grab it but couldn't as it swung, hitting her fingers. "Damn it!"

Mark swings the bat at Mindy's head, hitting her somewhere on her forehead. Mindy stumbles and starts to fall back. Mark catches her just in time before she fell down the stairs.

Mark picks her up bridal style and walks down the stairs.

* * *

Mark and the unconscious octoling were now in the kitchen. He placed her down gently onto the floor. He unlocks one of the two locks of the pantry. He panics, seeing that the other lock is not cooperating.

Mark hears Mindy muttering. He gasps, opening up the metal door.

He drags Mindy by her legs. As her body was in the room, Mark bolts out of the room, closing the door quickly as possible.

"Hey!" Mark hears Mindy's loud voice from the closed door. He then hears banging. "Hey! Let me out!"

Mark grabs a knife from the knife holder on one of the pillars. His whole body was shaking from fear.

"Mark!"

Mark shook his head, letting tears flow from his eyes. "I'm not letting you out, Mindy!"

The metal door becomes silent.

"Mark," Mindy spoke. "Hey. You hurt my head pretty bad. I need a doctor."

"Yeah. I'll get the snowcat and the others. I'll make sure to bring a doctor," Mark says, standing up. He starts to walk away from the pantry door.

"Mark?"

"Yes?" Mark stuttered.

"You got a _big_ surprise coming for _you_," Mindy says, laughing. "Go check out the snowcat and the radio, if you know what I mean. Go check it out!" Mindy starts slamming the metal door, repeating the last thing she told him.

Mark runs away from the pantry door, leaving the kitchen.

* * *

Mark rushed over to the shed, knife in one hand. The winter breeze hitting the male inkling's face.

He opens the shed, looking at the snowcat. He walks over to the snowcat, seeing that the machine's hood is open.

_Did she do something? _Mark thought, looking into the hood. Mark notices that the some of the wires were cut. Mark's eyes widened, taking out one of the parts from the machine.

"Mindy," Mark says under his breath. He sighed, dropping the piece that was in his hand.

* * *

Mindy was in the pantry, sleeping on some bags. She groaned, waking up. She sat up slowly, looking around herself. She then heard footsteps from outside the door.

She stood up slowly, walking over to the door.

"Is someone out there?" Mindy spoke. "Mark?"

"_No, miss."_

_To Mindy's despair, it was Daniel. He was outside the door. "You need help getting out here." _

"I don't know what Mark's plan is, but this is just," Mindy paused.

"_He's much stronger than what I anticipated, Mindy. You can't just let him go." _

Mindy rolls her eyes. "I know, Daniel." She stomps her left foot in anger.

_Daniel sighed. "I know you have it in you, miss. You can kill them, you can." _

Mindy backs away from the door. "You're gonna give me a chance?"

"_Well, yes. I believe you have to use the violent way to get them dead on the floor," Daniel said. _

Mindy smirked. "I do, don't I? Alright, Daniel. I'll get to that once I get out of here."

"_You've found a weapon around this place, miss?" _

"Yup, the axe is somewhere near one of the fire boxes. Just get me out of here, and I'll find it."

"_As you wish." _

The metal door unlocks, opening up.


	9. Chapter 9 - Eight o'clock at Night

Chapter 9 - Eight o'clock at Night

Mindy walked around the hotel, glancing at anything she can see. She was now holding an axe, anger boiling her blood.

_Where could they be? _Mindy thought.

Her boots made a loud bang as she walked down the lobby. She smiled, confidence filling her body. Mindy swung the axe through the air.

"Where are _you_?" Mindy called out. "Are you all _hiding_?"

* * *

Minka was sitting inside her hotel room. Mark busted through the door, closing and locking it.

"What's going on?" Minka asked with worry in her eyes.

"Mindy's not alright. She tried to hit me with a bat!" Mark was tightly holding the knife he got from the kitchen.

Minka got up from her bed. "Okay, we _have_ to find a way out!"

"Minka, we should have gotten out of here _before_ this happened."

The female inkling sighed quietly. "Is Lizzie here?"

"No, she's going to get us another snowcat."

"Alright. Now, what do we do?"

"I guess we wait here." Mark sat down on the bed.

* * *

Mindy walks up the stairs, looking at the walls of the hotel's second floor.

"You know, they really _are_ gonna have a _great_ thing coming to them," Mindy told herself.

She laughs, walking with the axe in her possession. She sees the room doors lined up.

Mindy looks at every bit of the hallway. "Come on out! It's alright!" Mindy calls out to no one in particular. She smirks, swinging the axe in the air once more.

* * *

Mark looks over at the door, his heart beating fast.

"Are we gonna die?" Minka asked.

"No. No, we are not," Mark told her softly. He walked over to the door. He heard a faint sound but couldn't make out what it was.

He walked back over to the bed.

Minka opened up the bathroom door. "Can I see your knife?"

Mark gave her the knife. He kept his eyes on the door.

Minka walked into the bathroom, looking at the small window inside the room.

She looked outside, seeing a snowy hill.

"Perfect."

She starts to open it up but the freezing winter had made it only possible to fit a small thing out of it. She stabbed the top of it, glass breaking. It then opened fully. Minka smiled.

Minka came out of the bathroom, giving the knife back to him. "We can get out safely from the window."

"Nice thinking."

Minka nodded, looking at the door.

Suddenly, the two inklings jumped at the sound of a bang outside the door.

"Go inside the bathroom!" Mark said, rushing into the bathroom with Minka behind him.

* * *

Mindy took down some of the wooden door, opening a piece of it. She smiles.

"Mark. I'm home," Mindy says calmly. She reaches through the hole she made with the sharp blade and unlocks the door. She steps inside, tightly holding the axe.

"I heard something in here," Mindy said. "Are you two in here?"

She knocked on the bathroom door. "Little squids, little squids, let me in."

Mindy hears a clatter of things going on behind the door.

"Not going to tell me then?"

She backs away from the door. "Well, guess I have to break in there, don't I?"

She readies the blade of her axe. She swings at the door, hitting it with perfect aim.

She then hears a male scream.

Mindy continues to swing the axe, breaking the wooden door. The screaming continues.

After she was done, she walks up to the door, placing her face through the hole she made. She looks over at Mark.

"Here's Mindy!"

Mark gasps, shaking with fear.

Mindy reaches her hand through the hole, trying to unlock the door.

Mark slashes Mindy's hand with the knife. Mindy gasps, retracting her hand out of the door.

She turns around, looking away from the door. Mindy shakes her head, walking away from the bathroom door.

* * *

"Hey, anyone out here?"

Lizzie walks down to the lobby. "Mark? Minka?"

The inkling looks around herself, seeing if her other friends are in the big room.

"Nathan? Come on guys!"

She continues to walk down, some pillars around her.

Lizzie called out, "I got the new snowcat!"

No answer.

She suddenly heard a scream. The figure lunged at her, swinging an axe. Lizzie got hit in the chest by the blade. She gasped, blood starting to slowly flow out of her chest.

The blade was then ripped out. The figure then swung the axe again, hitting her chest harder. Lizzie stumbled and fell to the floor.

She gave out one last breath before the axe, yet again, swung at her chest harshly.

* * *

Mark stepped out of the room. He was still holding the knife. He rushed down the second floor to the first floor of the hotel.

As he walked around, he smelled something rotten. He followed the smell to the lobby.

There he saw Lizzie's dead body on the floor.

Mark gagged, trying not to vomit it out.

_Where did Minka go? _Mark thought, running out of the lobby towards the main entrance.

* * *

Mindy was roaming around the hotel, trying to find Nathan. She went up to the third floor.

She saw him minding his own business.

"Nathan!" Mindy yelled, getting the other's attention.

"Mindy! What are you," he pauses. "Did you just kill someone?" Nathan stuttered.

Mindy readied her axe. "So, you _wanted_ to be here, right?"

Nathan steps back. "What are you talking about? I did want to come here." He holds his arms up for protection.

Mindy walks up to him slowly. "Why are you trying to run away?"

Nathan looked at the blade of the axe. It had fresh blood on it from her last victim. "I'm getting away from you because of the axe! You can't just hold that object and think I'm gonna walk over towards you!"

"Come on, I thought you _trusted_ me, Nathan."

"I don't, now!" Nathan yelled.

Mindy suddenly threw the axe, hitting Nathan's head, causing him to die a quick death.

"Be quiet." Mindy took the axe out of his head, smiling.

* * *

Minka saw the snowcat outside the main entrance.

_Thank you, Lizzie! _Minka thought, climbing inside the passenger's seat.

Minka then saw Mark running out of the hedge maze that was outside the building.

Mark opened up the driver's side door, climbing inside. He closed it behind him.

"Minka!" He hugged Minka tightly. "Thank cod you're alive!"

She hugged back. "You, too!"

They let each other go. Mark saw that the keys were still in it's holder. He started up the snowcat.

Minka looked out the passenger side window, seeing Mindy walking out of the main entrance wearing a light see-through black jacket over her Octoling Armor.

"Mindy's here! Let's leave!" Minka said.

Mark pushed the gas pedal, the snowcat now moving away from where Mindy was standing.

Mindy screamed, "Wait! Wait! I just need to complete my duty!" She runs towards the moving snowcat. She then trips, falling into the grass covered snow. The axe was a few inches away from her when she fell.

"No! _**No!**_" Mindy screamed, her voice now shrill as she yells at the snowcat. She starts getting up, but then hears footsteps behind her.

"_What happened?" _

_She turns her head to see Daniel. He is holding out his hand. She grabs hold of it and he pulls her up. "I see that you couldn't catch them." _

"I know." Mindy picks up the axe, feeling her eyes becoming teary eyed. "I just couldn't catch the two, Daniel! Can't you _see_ I was _trying_!"

_Daniel places a cold hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Mindy. Don't strain your voice." _

Mindy nods, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I only got two out of the four, Daniel. I guess I'm no good."

_Daniel steps closer to the octoling. "I don't think that way. You still have a chance, I believe." _

Mindy looks back at the snowcat, which was driving away from where she stood.

"_Go on, catch it," Daniel whispered in Mindy's ear. He smirked. _

Mindy smirked, dashing after the snowcat, axe in her hands.

* * *

"Hey, you _two_!"

Mark heard Mindy calling out to them. "She's right near us."

"Stop the vehicle. I'll run into the forest," Minka told him. She held onto the handle.

Mark stopped the vehicle. Minka opened the door, jumping out. She ran into the forest, Mindy not even noticing her.

Mindy walked over to where Mark was. "Mark!"

Mark gripped the knife. He said nothing as she walked up to the driver's side door.

"Mark! Get out of there," Mindy said.

Mark opened the door, but he didn't step out.

"Come on, Mark. You wanna come back to the hotel?" she asked strangely with a calm tone.

"No," Mark says in an undertone. He shakes his head.

Mindy leans into the snowcat. "Did you say something?"

"No!" Mark screamed. "I don't want to go back there! Why do you think I wanna be there with _you_?"

"I thought you loved me, Mark."

Mark gasped. "I never told you anything about that. How did you know?" Mark stuttered.

"Wild guess?" Mindy smirked. She turned the blade towards herself. She held the long blade and readied her aim.

"Why do you need me back _there_?" Panic was rising in Mark's body.

"To complete my duty."

With a hard and fast swing of the handle of the axe, she hit Mark's head, knocking him unconscious.

Mindy heard footsteps yet again.

"_Great job, Mindy," Daniel says, clapping his hands quietly. "That's who I want to get tortured the most." _

Mindy dropped the axe, smirking. "Really? How so?" She looked over at him.

"_We can talk about it once we get back to the hotel," Daniel tells her, kissing her on the cheek. _

Mindy blushes.

_Daniel wraps his left arm around her shoulders. "Let's get going before he wakes up, miss." _

Mindy nods. She picks up the axe. Mindy grabs Mark's left ankle with her right hand. She drags the male inkling in the snow, humming to herself.

After walking for a while, the InkSea Hotel comes into view.


End file.
